Preparing for an interview is often a nerve-wracking experience. Aside from the practical things to contend with (i.e. – Is my resume printed? Who am I meeting with? What should I wear?), many people find themselves stressed and anxious about what they’ll be asked during the interview. (Anyone who’s ever interviewed for a job at Google, where interviewers are famous for asking questions that are particularly surprising and complex, knows the feeling.)
Luckily, there are plenty of resources to help. Check out our advice for answering the 25 best job interview questions below. And while you’re preparing, be sure to use Comparably’s company insights tool to see how employees feel about the culture and compensation at the companies you’re interviewing with.
1. “Tell me about yourself.”
What the employer is actually asking: A common opener, this is a way for a hiring manager not only to get a short synopsis of the responsibilities you’ve had, but your general vibe (i.e. – Are you arrogant? Do you make good eye contact or are you staring at your shoes? Do you have a sense of humor?).
How you should answer: The key here is not to tell your whole life story, but to pull out the relevant and impressive pieces of your story that make you qualified for this position. Since this question will likely be asked in the beginning of the interview, make sure you show your professionalism and positivity. Use this question to give the interviewer a taste of your personality, and be “human” in your response: it’s good to have a general idea of what points you want to make, but if you come across like you’re reading a script, you may put an interviewer off.
2. “Tell me about the ideal position you’re looking for.”
What the employer is actually asking: The employer wants to see whether your preferred goals and responsibilities match up with the job available.
How you should answer: Be honest in your response, but realize that if what you are looking for differs drastically from what your employer is looking for, this isn’t the right fit.
3. “Are you familiar with what we do here?”
What the employer is actually asking: Have you done your homework? Do you care about what the job entails?
How you should answer: Doing your research is an absolute must. Don’t just read the “About Us” section of the website — check out news articles and product releases, talk to current employees, find out everything you can. Doing this makes you stand out; not doing this sends a bad signal to the employer.
4. “What is your biggest weakness?”
What the employer is actually asking: An old standby for many interviewers, this question seeks to understand not only where you struggle, but how you articulate that struggle and what progress you’ve made toward combating it. That last part is key.
How you should answer: Many times, job candidates are advised to say something that’s actually a positive (i.e. – “I work too hard” or “I’m too productive sometimes”). We prefer an approach that speaks more to identifying a real problem and explaining how you worked through it. For example, you could say that you used to struggle with public speaking but you’ve been actively working through it with lots of practice or even a public speaking class.
5. “What are you best at?”
What the employer is actually asking: The employer wants to know not only your biggest skill, but how you self-assess your biggest skill. They want to see how easily you can communicate what it is that you do well.
How you should answer: Be ready to talk about what you’re good at and, more importantly, how your skills can help the company.
6. “Tell me about a time you got [X] result.”
What the employer is actually asking: How involved were you in helping your current or previous employer successfully solve for a critical metric? The employer wants to hire someone who can replicate that success at their company.
How you should answer: Don’t speak in platitudes. Give specific examples of what you did to drive key metrics in your previous roles, and use it as proof that you’ll be successful at this company.
7. “What are your salary expectations?”
What the employer is actually asking: Are we on the same page about compensation? As an employer, you don’t want to until the third interview before you find out that a job candidate’s expectations are too high. Always ask the question.
How you should answer: Be upfront about what you’re looking for in terms of compensation, but make sure you have an idea of your market worth. Use Comparably to see what people with your education, experience, title, and location, are earning across your industry.
8. “If I were to talk to 10 people you’ve previously worked with, what would they say your weaknesses were? What bothered them about you?”
What the employer is actually asking: The employer isn’t looking for perfection; they want to see how self-aware you are about what you need to improve. By phrasing the question this way, they’re making it more accessible than “What’s your biggest weakness?”
How you should answer: Avoid B.S. answers like “I work too hard” or “I care too much.” Be honest. For example, when I ask this question to job candidates, I often pre-empt it by saying “people say I can get really stubborn and micromanage others. Sometimes I find it’s a hard balance to know when to let go and when to get involved.” Your interviewer doesn’t want perfect, they want honest.
9. “What will I only know about you after we’ve worked together for a year?”
What the employer is actually asking: This question, which I picked up years ago from Centrifuse CEO Wendy Lea, is meant to make you think critically and move beyond the pre-polished answers. What you choose to talk about is very telling — often, it’ll give the employer more of a sense of your hobbies, interests, and personality.
How you should answer: Questions like these take time to critically process. You may feel vulnerable in those moments, but don’t revert to a canned answer. Your potential employer wants to see how you think in the moment.
10. “Tell me about a big mistake you made at work and how you handled it.”
What the employer is actually asking: The employer is looking for a sense of accountability on your part. They want to see that you identified a mistake and took the responsibility of fixing it.
How you should answer: Don’t hide it. Explain the situation and provide a thoughtful response about what you did to make the situation better.
11. “Tell me about a time when you either worked under very tight supervision or very loose supervision. How did you deal?”
What the employer is actually asking: Is this someone who’s going to have a really strong trigger if they’re micromanaged, or is this someone who needs too much direction? Neither extreme is preferable.
How you should answer: Be careful of showing a strong dislike of one style versus the other.
12. “Why was there a gap in your employment?”
What the employer is actually asking: Your resume tells the story of your career, and if it doesn’t have a natural arc, people are going to want to understand that as a reflection of who you are.
How you should answer: Be honest about your motivations in going from one job to another. Don’t get defensive.
13. “What do you like to do outside of work?”
What the employer is actually asking: What is your personality? People tend to be pretty awkward in interviews, but once they talk about what they do outside of work, they become themselves. As an employer, you get to see their real personality come through.
How you should answer: Don’t worry about sounding cool. It doesn’t matter what you do; just be you.
14. “What do you think our company could be doing better?”
What the employer is actually asking: How much do you know about us? What opportunities are you seeing that maybe we don’t see?
How you should answer: Don’t be afraid to give thoughtful but critical feedback on a company. Any high-performance organization is hiring you because they want to improve, so your advice will be seen as a benefit not a disadvantage.
15. “Describe yourself in one word.”
What the employer is actually asking: The employer wants to understand how you self-assess.
How you should answer: Offer an answer that shows you are self-aware about your personality and your career. Use this as an opportunity to show off your fun side — generally, stick to positive words like “customer-oriented” or “creative” and steer clear of scary words like “intense.”
16. “What personality types do you have the most difficulty dealing with and why?”
What the employer is actually asking: They’re trying to see is there anybody on the team that you’d have a really hard time interacting with.
How you should answer: Be prepared to talk about the types of people you like working with and the types of people you don’t like working with.
17. “Walk me through a typical day in your current job, and explain what you’d like your typical day to be?”
What the employer is actually asking: Do the things you do (or want to do) match up with the things that I need you to do? Job titles can be deceiving; this dual-part question can help an employer decide whether your experience and interests are right for this role.
How you should answer: Be thorough. Paint an accurate picture. It doesn’t do you any good to speak in generalities.
18. “Where do you want to be five years from today?”
What the employer is actually asking: Do you have a plan for your career, and is this company the right stepping stone to get you there?
How you should answer: Be able to articulate not just what you want today, but where you want to be in the future. If you don’t know, in most cases it’s ok to say that. There are of course cases where wouldn’t bode well — for instance, if you’re applying for a senior-level management job, it may not leave the company feeling confident to hear you don’t know where you see yourself in five years.
19. “Why should we hire you?”
What the employer is actually asking: This is the employer’s way of seeing how well you can articulate your assets. Companies are looking for more than just generalizations (i.e. – I’m really creative). They want to know specifically how your creativity can help them achieve their goals.
How you should answer: Make sure you have a good handle on the company’s mission and goals. As this is a question that is often asked later in the interview process, use what you’ve gathered throughout the interview to formulate an answer that matches the company’s greatest needs and priorities.
20. “What professional achievement are you most proud of?”
What the employer is actually asking: Companies want to know not only what sort of big wins you’ve had, but also what the lasting implications of those successes have been.
How you should answer: Draw out a specific example. It doesn’t have to be an award you’ve won, though that’s always nice to highlight. You could pick something more personal — for example, how you mentored a colleague and turned his or her performance around. Be honest and be descriptive in describing what earned you the achievement you’re discussing. Highlight the contributions of your team when you can — it will convey that you’re a team player and possess a sense of humbleness and gratitude.
21. “Why are you looking to leave your current job?”
What the employer is actually asking: Asking this question gives a hiring manager insight into your current state of mind while also giving them insight into the forces that motivate you as an employee.
How you should answer: Whatever you do, stay positive. This is not the time to badmouth your boss or complain about the horrible work hours you’re putting in everyday. Your best bet is to offer a response that shows you’re excited about the opportunity in front of you. Show that you’ve done your research on the company and the position itself, and connect it with your personal goals. If you’re unemployed while interviewing and you’re asked why you left your previous job, be honest about it. If you were let go, say something like “I was let go, unfortunately.”
22. “You seem to have made a few career changes. Can you explain?”
What the employer is actually asking: Employers want to know that you’re not just going to hop into some new career six months after starting this job.
How you should answer: Explain what prompted some of these career decisions, but be sure to emphasize how your experiences can translate in the open position. For example, you can emphasize how your previous career in PR has made you a great communicator — an essential skill for your new job in HR.
23. “You seem to have made a few career changes. Can you explain?”
What the employer is actually asking: Employers want to know that you’re not just going to hop into some new career six months after starting this job.
How you should answer: Explain what prompted some of these career decisions, but be sure to emphasize how your experiences can translate in the open position. For example, you can emphasize how your previous career in PR has made you a great communicator who can easily break down complicated topics — an essential skill for your new job as an HR rep.
24. How would you describe your management style?
What the employer is actually asking: Who is this person as a leader? What skills do they use to motivate and grow their team? Are they a micromanager?
How you should answer: There’s no one way to answer this question, though it’s probably best for you to avoid describing yourself as a micromanager: 39% of respondents in a recent study by Comparably said being a micromanager was the worst quality in a boss. The key thing to remember here is that whatever you say, you should be able to back up with a specific example. For instance, “I constantly remind my team that I’m there to support them, whether it’s by checking in with them at various points throughout a project and asking how I can help them make their job easier, or by bringing in donuts at the end of a particularly rough week.”
25. “What questions do you have for us?”
What the employer is actually asking: They want to see that you’re curious and passionate about the company. In many cases, the questions a job candidate asks are often more telling than the answers they’ve given during the interview.
How you should answer: Come prepared with lots of questions about the company and the individual job, but don’t ask about salary. If you bring it up in the first interview, it can make you seem like compensation is the most important thing to you.
